Touch Of Iron.

I’ve just had the pleasure of reading Touch Of Iron by Timandra Whitecastle.

‘Is the Living Blade real or just a legend?

With it… Prince Bashan could win back his kingdom.
Master Telen Diaz can free himself of the burden from his past.
Owen Smith sees a once-in-a-lifetime chance to gain untold knowledge.

… but for Noraya Smith, the Living Blade will bring nothing but suffering and sorrow.’

Touch Of Iron tells the story of Noraya (Nora) Smith, and her twin brother Owen. Having run aay from their village to escape the superstitions surrounding them as twins (and Nora in particular), the are thrust into the midst of a party of unsavoury men belonging to an exiled Prince – Bashan. After some early difficulties, one of the Prince’s trusted advisors, a half-wight Master Diaz, takes it upon himself to help to protect Nora and Owen.

The exiled Prince is on a quest to find and reforge the Living Blade – a legendary weapon that can reshape the Empire. Along with his group of rag-tag men, he travels the North of the country in search of any news of the Blade, before eventually taking shelter at various religious temples around the world for refuge. Mysteries become revealed, battles break out and characters are forced to make difficult choices to stay alive.

Touch Of Iron was an excellent example of how to develop characters in an interesting and complex way, whilst maintaining the attention of the reader and ensuring they stay hooked on every word. As the number of characters the story revolves around is fairly small (though not overly so by any means), it gives every one of them a hance to be fleshed out and developed across the book. Throw in an intriguing plot full of mystery, twists and revelations, and you’ve got an excellent overall story.

Timandra has done exceptionally well to create this fantastic world, with all of it’s complex and entertaining characters. It’s certainly a book that I’d recommend, and I eagerly anticipate the sequel.